MindtheGap is a piece about London with people walking around or travelling from one place to another. In a way, it is also my own journey around this city observing people conditioned by traffic lights or signs such as ‘Mindthegap’, ‘Stand on the right’, ‘Walk on the left’, and so forth. Ideally, we should all be able to keep walking freely and continuously – as opposed to a stop-walk-stop-walk motion – and, if possible, collect a few apples from trees on our way. But, on the other hand, there is also something very exciting about the cities’ motion, its traffic, trains approaching and moving away, huge travelling around and under the city.

This work is divided into four short movements, each of which relating to a specific sign or direction. The outer movements – ‘Keep Left’ and ‘Keep Right’ – are written either for the left or the right side of the marimba, respectively. The performer tries to move away from its original register but the music ‘forces’ him to keep either left or right, on its original position. The second movement – ‘Next Train Approaching’ – is a night, silent, long, black and white travelling. The journey avoids Piccadilly Circus in order to keep silent. Finally, the third movement – ‘Currently Out of Order’ – deals with hesitation. Multiple directions available, without wanting nor having to choose any.